President’s Message 2013
Happy New Year to all.
January, 2013, a new year, new beginnings and new adventures.
Canadian Abreast members can look back to 2012 and say ”what a great year for International travel!”
Three Canadians Abreast crews travelled to Israel in May to participate in the country’s first Dragon Boat Festival. In addition to touring Israel, many members also toured Turkey and Jordan.
In September a crew went to Dublin, Ireland to participate in Plurabelle Paddlers’ first festival. Afterwards, most members toured Southern Ireland.
Unfortunately, we didn’t participate in any local festivals during 2012.
We plan to change that this year. 2013 is a special year for Canadians Abreast as we are celebrating our 10th anniversary. We are looking forward to a full crew at each 2013 venue we attend and a 10th anniversary party will be held at each and every one.
Parties will be open to all Canadians Abreast members at every festival we attend including non paddling Canadians Abreast members and members participating with home teams. We want everyone to join the party!
At each celebration, we plan to recognize attending 10 year members with a ‘special’ 10 year token.
Please contact and let her know which festival you plan to attend as a participant with Canadians Abreast
Please contact me if you will be at a festival with your home team and don’t plan to participate with Canadians Abreast.
We need to register early for the festivals, book hotels, and make party arrangements.
Come on ladies and gent, be part of our 10th anniversary celebration year, sign up to participate in one or more of the following festivals for 2013.
| May 24-25 | Tit Bateau, New Brunswick | |
| June 8 | Buffalo, New York, cross border shopping! | |
| July 5-7 | Nanaimo, British Columbia, wine country! | |
| August 10 | Toronto Cup, Toronto Ontario | |
| September 14 | Stratford, Ontario, beautiful venue to close the 2013 season |
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy 2013.
Darlene Prager
WELCOME
We are Canadians Abreast – Messengers of Hope, a national breast cancer survivor dragon boat team formed in 2003. Dragonboating is one of the most rapidly growing recreational sports, celebrated and enjoyed worldwide by athletes of all ages. As you explore our website, you’ll see the adventures we’ve shared, locally, nationally and internationally since we first came together, including our participation in the Yukon River Quest to help the women of Nunavut by raising funds for the Ikpigusukniqmut Foundation to assist with the purchase of a developer for the new mammogram machine.
Our Goals are:
- To raise worldwide awareness of breast cancer awareness and show by example that there can be happy, productive and fun-filled life after breast cancer;
- To encourage survivors to regain control of their lives through sport and physical activity;
- Encourage the pursuit of a cure for breast cancer;
- To support outlying, smaller communities across Canada by raising funds to help purchase diagnostic and educational equipment and to help them provide coping tools for women dealing with breast cancer diagnosis.
Our International Mission is:
- To take our message of hope to areas without breast cancer survivor dragonboat teams;
- To meet with other survivors worldwide
- To spread hope and encouragement by sharing our stories of the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of dragonboat racing